Croatia

VISA REGIME

ENTERING AND LEAVING THE COUNTRY
The Republic of Croatia is a party to the Schengen Agreement, which means that holders of biometric passports of the Republic of Serbia do not need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days (in total for the entire Schengen Area) in a period of 180 days, from the date of first entry into the countries of the Schengen Area. A passport must be valid for minimum three months after the date of the planned return.
Border authorities may, in addition to a valid biometric passport, request to view additional documentation pertaining to the length and purpose of stay (e.g. invitation letter, travel agency voucher, etc.), as well as proof of disposal or possession of necessary funds for the planned stay.
Registration of a stay longer than 24 hours in the Republic of Croatia is mandatory. Hotels, boarding houses, hostels, camps, and other facilities providing accommodation services have this obligation. In other cases, foreigners are obliged to report personally to the competent local police foreigners’ department. Foreigners need to keep proof of registration of their stay, as it is often required for inspection when leaving the country.
Cash in the amount of 10,000 euros or more, i.e. the equivalent amount in another currency, or other means of payment, being brought into or taken out of the country needs to be declared to a custom officer at the border crossing.
Cultural goods (personal collections, archeological items, paintings, sculptures, old books, ethnological treasures, etc.) may be brought into and taken out of the country only on the basis of the approval of the competent body for the protection of cultural heritage (export permit).
Temporary short-term import and export of pets (dogs, cats, birds, etc.) is allowed if the owner has an international certificate of the animal’s health. For more information, go to: https://carina.gov.hr/istaknute-teme/fizicke-osobe-2715/prijenos-zivotinja/2744.
Protected or endangered species of wild flora and fauna, and trophies and products made from such species, may be brought into or taken out of the country on the basis of an international CITES certificate issued in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, which the traveller must submit to the competent Croatian authorities.
Foodstuffs being brought into the country, regardless of the quantity, must comply with food regulations and are subject to inspection by a veterinary inspector at the border crossing on entry. Products of animal origin (meat, meat products, milk and dairy products, eggs) may not be brought into the country, unless they are of EU origin.
Foreign citizens travelling to the Republic of Croatia for hunting may carry hunting weapons and ammunition over the state border, provided that they have been recorded in the travel document at the diplomatic-consular mission of the Republic of Croatia. For more information, visit the official website of the Croatian Customs Administration (www.carina.hr) and the website of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia (overview of permitted categories of weapons: https://www.mup.hr/UserDocsImages/Dokumenti/oruzje/2013/PRILOG2_2.pdf).
International road border crossings with the Republic of Croatia are Batrovci, Ljuba, Sot, Šid, Bačka Palanka, Bezdan and Bogojevo. It is recommended to obtain additional information on the passability and operation of border crossings before the trip. For more, regularly updated information, go to: http://www.hak.hr/info/stanje-na-cestama/, and http://www.mup.hr/ (look for the section Border Crossings).

SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT
The Agreement on Social Insurance concluded between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Croatia is in force.

USEFUL INFORMATION

HEALTH SITUATION — The Republic of Croatia does not fall into the category of countries characterised by large epidemics or large-scale sanitary threats. The Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia have concluded a bilateral agreement on social insurance which gives their respective citizens, while on a short tourist visit in the other country, the right to use healthcare services in case of an emergency.
This includes conditions or states which severely compromise the health or the life of the insured person, and as such, require serious hospital treatment, surgical or other medical interventions. Emergencies also include exacerbations of chronic diseases which, unless properly treated, would endanger a patient's life. In case of admission to a hospital for an emergency intervention or immediate treatment, it is necessary to have a certificate on the SR/HR 111 form, issued on the basis of direct examination of the insured by the medical commission. After determining that there are no disturbances in the form of acute and chronic diseases, certificates are issued for a 90-day period in case of a private stay abroad, or 12 months in case of a business stay or referral to work abroad. Controls and prescription of medicines are not envisaged under this agreement.
Medicines for personal use only may be brought into the country, in quantities sufficient for one month, and with an appropriate medical documentation (e.g. prescriptions, medical history). The intake of narcotics is prohibited. However, medicines containing opiates, in quantities sufficient for 5 days, may be brought into the country, provided that the traveller has medical documentation for them.

SECURITY SITUATION — According to the assessment of the competent authorities of the Republic of Croatia, the general security situation in the country is stable, with a low level of danger of terrorism and crime. However, nationalist outbursts of sport teams supporters and right-wing groups have been registered in the Republic of Croatia recently, which in some cases escalated to verbal or physical attacks on citizens of the Republic of Serbia or persons of Serbian nationality. As a matter of prevention, citizens of the Republic of Serbia who intend to transit through the territory of the Republic of Croatia or who reside in the Republic of Croatia on various grounds are advised to avoid going to places of mass gatherings where national(ist) affiliations may be emphasised as well as to avoid wearing clothes with prominent national symbols of the Republic of Serbia in any context.
Passenger vehicles and buses with Serbian licence plates should be parked in lighted parking spaces which are under video surveillance or have direct security.
Serbian citizens are advised to pay special attention to traffic safety and to comply with traffic regulations, since several traffic accidents with serious consequences were registered in the past period.

TRANSPORT — Travelling from the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Croatia is possible by rail, air, and road. Here is a list of relevant contacts for travel information ― the main bus station in Zagreb (tel. 00 385 16 33 19 82, 00 385 16 33 19 99), the main railway station in Zagreb (tel. 00 385 14 57 71 11), and the airport (tel. 00 385 14 56 21 70).
The price of a one-way train ticket on the Belgrade―Zagreb route is around 25EUR, whereas the price of a bus ticket on the same route ranges between 30 and 35 EUR.
All major cities in the Republic of Croatia (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka) are connected by modern motorways which meet high standards. Traffic jams are possible during the tourist season due to the large influx of tourists, especially on the routes to the sea and at toll points.
The speed limits are as follows: motorway ― 130 km/h, roads for motor vehicle traffic ― 110 km/h, other roads ― 90 km/h, populated areas ― 50 km/h. Speeding fines range between 65 and 2000 EUR. A fine may be paid on the spot in the amount that is half of the prescribed minimum, or exactly half of the set amount in case of a misdemeanour for which only a fine of up to 270 EUR for a natural person is prescribed.
It is also possible to pay a fine after misdemeanour proceedings have been concluded and the misdemeanour court decision on the fine issued, that is two thirds of the set fine are payable within the deadline defined in the misdemeanour court decision.
Citizens of the Republic of Serbia do not need an international driving permit to drive the category of vehicle specified in their national (Serbian) driver's licence. In case the driver is not the owner of the driven vehicle, the Croatian police may request a certified owner’s authorisation (in Croatian or English). A child safety seat is mandatory for children up to 5 years of age, who are driven in passenger vehicles.

OTHER INFORMATION — The Republic of Croatia is in the Eurozone, and the currency is the Euro (EUR). Most of the most famous cards can be used in Croatia (Visa, Diners, Maestro, MasterCard).

Contact information:
For consular assistance and protection while in the Republic of Croatia, please contact:
The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Zagreb (address: Jabukovac 23), at one of the following telephone numbers: 00 385 14 57 90 67, 00 385 14 57 33 30, 00 385 14 57 33 37, or e-mail: srb.emb.croatia@mfa.rs
The Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia in Rijeka (address: Erazma Barčića 9), at one of the following telephone numbers: 00 385 51 33 74 20, 00 385 51 33 74 21, 00 385 51 33 73 43, or e-mail: konzulat-rijeka@ri.t-com.hr,
The Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia in Vukovar (address: Ivana Gundulića 19), at one of the following telephone numbers: 00 385 32 44 10 16, 00 385 32 44 11 83, 00 385 32 44 11 84, or e-mail: generalni.konzulat@gk-srbije-vukovar.hr.